North Point's iBand

My pick of all the holiday music we've had this year. I'm not a big fan of Apple at all. But I love the way all this comes together. Wait for the vocals at the end!! Good Job!

The Ghost of Christmas Past

Merry Christmas!!

Ever since I can remember December's been my favourite month of the year. I admit my opinion might be biased given that my birthday is in the month. Nevertheless a huge chunk of the human race has got to side with me on the fact that nothing brings about a hint of joy quite like Christmas cheer. I have had the fortune (or misfortune as the case may be) of celebrating Christmas with so many different groups of people and in so many different places. This Christmas too is with a new family. God bless their hearts for taking me in! More on how that went later.

My earliest memories of Christmas are the years we spend in Saudi Arabia as kids. While I'm sure that country has a lot of traits going for it, one thing it really doesn't do well is religious tolerance. And I’m not talking about frowned-upon-at-the-country-club sort of intolerance. I'm talking about an off-with-your-head attitude towards outsiders. Ok, I exaggerate, but things could get real bad real soon if you ended up on the wrong side of the religious police force. In spite of this, Amma always made sure there was a tree in the house at the very least. No bright lights and stars on the outside like would be accustomed to growing up here in North America or back home in India. I remember the makeshift nativity scene we built from a farm animal set. There were always presents! A double whammy for me because I knew a few days later I would get my birthday presents. And the cakes she would make. I could devote a really large post just explaining the different cakes amma's created over the years. Drool...

The next few years were spend in different cities in India, each season holding special memories. There were the Christmas stars in more colours and shapes than I could possibly list here. One of the best holidays I remember having as a kid was when my elder cousin got married in December. This brought the whole extended family around which meant good times with the gang. And a great deal of goodies from the land of wonders that was 'Persia'. There was no dearth of mischief we could get into. The more the merrier indeed!

After high school, I moved away from home and the opportunities to spend Christmas at home became few and far between. It's such a sinking feeling, realizing that this is the harsh reality of growing up. No more putting-up-the-tree day. No more secret meetings with my brother to decide who gets what this year. People change. Only because they have to and not because of some need to spend this time of the year away from the ones closest to their hearts. Places change, faces change... some old faces and some new friendships. Gifts get more expensive and decorations get grander. But the ghost of christmas past will forever haunt me. My heart will always long for the days when happiness meant having a tree in the house (even if it's one on the wall made of lights because the house was too small to fit in a tree!) and knowing I’d wake up with my father, my mother and my brother with me. I miss my home right now and my heart goes out to anyone who might be spending these holidays away from theirs. And for all those fortunate enough to be with the ones that matter the most, I do envy you lot. Enjoy these festive times responsibly for you too will miss them when they're gone. Feliz Navidad my friends!! Have an awesome Christmas!

Truth is everybody's going to hurt you; you've just got to find the ones worth suffering for.
     - Bob Marley

Lest We Forget

Freedom. Such a powerful word. Take a moment to savour it. Take in a small sip and let it roll around your mouth.  Close your eyes and silently mouth the word (or scream it out à la Mel Gibson in Braveheart if you aren’t sitting in a public area). Either way there’s no escaping the fact that the word can elicit emotion in the hardest of hearts. Throughout history the soon-to-be-victorious General has used it many times in his rousing call to arms. Possibly even the soon-to-be-dead General had used a few ‘freedom’ laden speeches too (but it’s hard to tell for sure because history as we know it has always been written by the victors). Every one of us has got to remember that this most basic of human rights should be viewed more as a gift. A gift for which somebody, somewhere, sometime in the past gave his/her life for. So next time you stroll by that innocuous statue at the park remember what it represents and take a second to pray for your fallen heroes. Peace.

Rocky Mountain High

I'd driven down to Vancouver last weekend. For those of you not familiar with it, the drive from Edmonton, AB, to Vancouver, BC, takes about 12 hours on a good day and takes you through some of the most stunning mountain landscapes you'll ever see. I have done the same drive a number of times now in a number of different vehicles with a number of different passengers. Drive times have varied from 10 hours on a white knuckle dash through the mountains to about 24 hours on a poorly planned day. The Himalayas are supposed to be breathtaking. And the visitor numbers garnered by the Alps are probably indicative of the beauty of that part of our planet. But until I get anywhere near those places, I'm going to say that the Rocky Mountains constitute some of the highlights of my short life. The drive is a magical journey through unspoiled natural wealth. Starting out west from Edmonton you pick up the pace outside city limits to put the tail end of the high prairies behind you. About 3 hours into the drive, the mountains rise majestically over the horizon and before you know it you're deep in bear country. Stop for fuel at Jasper and take in the quaint little town and the towering mountains surrounding it. Then head south on the Icefields Parkway. This 150 mile highway through the Rockies has been called one of the most stunning drives in the world by National Geographic. If you're lucky you'll see elk, deer, mountain goats and even a bear or two. Drive further south past the awesome glacial landscape and you'll reach Lake Louise. The water is an almost impossibly brilliant turquoise and is surrounded by mountains. Come in the spring and you'll love the matching ice formations on the mountains above. Further south cross the town of Banff and then head west. This bit is definitely the highlight for any motorhead. You could be forgiven for not taking in the sights because you were too busy exploring the limits of your vehicle on those gloriously twisting mountain roads. The road really widens up as you get closer to BC's famous west coast. Before long you'll be saying farewell to the Rockies as the mountains spit you out into the relatively flat freeway towards Vancouver. You can almost smell the salty sea air (well not really but you get the idea). And sure enough you're soon swallowed by the lights and sounds that make up the Greater Vancouver area.

The roadtrip is over before you know it but you have the memories of a lifetime to make up for that. I've been blessed enough to have done this drive quite a few times and given the right mixture of ingredients, it's still a winner. All you need is a good vehicle, a great set of friends and a generous dollop of sunshine and you're all set for good times. Oh, did I mention that this drive is one of the 'Drives of a Lifetime' as designated by National Geographic. That's got to count for something right?

Cruel Winter Blues

It's happening all over again. The laziness is starting to creep on in like an annoying shadow in the night. Procrastination thy name is... well you get the idea. I've got about four blog posts that I've been meaning to finish. I actually haven't opened my documents folder this last week. I could call it writer's block but that's just such a lame reason to stop. It’s not like I'm looking for inspiration. My head is a huge whirlpool of thoughts and ideas just waiting to burst forth onto this unsuspecting world.

What I would blame for this predicament of mine is the weather. Axl Rose obviously hadn’t been to Canada before he wrote November Rain. Up here it’s just a very very cold November with loads of the white soft stuff. Even as I write this I see that the world outside is just one big white wasteland. And one look at my weather gadget tells me its -18 degrees. That’s -24 with wind chill factored in. The skies over the city have been obscured and the sun's been waging a losing battle trying to burst through.

On the bright side, Christmas is around the corner and this ultra-capitalistic economy is such a wonderful place to be in. What with the Christmas spirit, snow angels, gingerbread lattes and all of that good stuff. Stores lit up so brightly, cute babies in their oh-so-cute oversized jackets and just the general seasonal joy. Also, snow does have some sort of magical appeal. The white kind that is. Keep away from that golden stuff. Nasty!

Taking Flight

People always ask me what it is that got into my head and made me drop out of business school and decide that I want to fly for a living. And however much I think about it, I cannot come up with one single reason for my decision. It may have been that voice in my head. Don't laugh, we've all got a voice in our heads - mine sounds like Bob Dylan and has an affinity for junk food. I like to think of it as my thinking voice. It may have been the slow poison that was my MBA life. I'm not really the guy you would turn to for presenting a new product or to balance your books, mostly because I can't really be bothered with it. You may ask why I got into it in the first place, but that is another story for another day.

Whatever the reason, what I can tell you for sure is that I'm finally doing something that I truly enjoy. Isn't that the whole point of life anyway? Do what you like and like what you do and all that. Flying is such a surreal experience in itself. I don't think that any amount of poetry or praise could do it justice in my eyes. I enjoy flying in the same way an artist might enjoy a Monet or a wine taster might enjoy, well, a good wine. It fills up my senses, in a good way - not the kind of sensory overload that one might experience at a euro-club on techno night. Taking off might be the simplest part of flying. But there is such a sense of accomplishment when those wheels lift off of the runway. A good landing never fails to bring a smile to my face (and contrary to popular belief I have had quite a few of those). Flying through the mountains and over pristine lakes under clear skies is truly a state of nirvana no amount of cross legged meditation can achieve. It’s just you and the sky around you with the comforting hum of the engine floating in through the padded headset. And there’s so much more to it. More than I could ever hope to put down in mere words.  

The cherry on top? The thought that I could get paid to do this. I can really have my cake and eat it too. And what a sinfully delicious cake this has turned out to be so far.   

Speak No Evil

When I was a child I was taught the saying ‘sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me’. At the time I saw the sense of it. Words being intangible have no ability to inflict physical harm. Whenever anybody said something mean to me, I would loudly recite the saying to them, using it like a magical incantation that would protect me from getting my feelings hurt. I usually said it with tears running down my cheeks. As an adult I’ve come to see that the saying is like many things taught to children, a lie. Over the years I’ve taken a lot of verbal abuse. Now while it hasn’t driven me to the extent of seeking professional help (yet!) it really darkens my day when I think about some of the times I’ve been on the receiving end of a barbed tongue. Luckily for my tormentors, I’ve never really been good with nasty comebacks – ‘I’m rubber and you are glue’ never seemed to have the desired effect. Thats not to say that I’m an angel. I know I’ve dealt out my fair share of hurt. What makes it worse is the knowledge that the people I’ve hurt the most are the ones who deserve it the least. I am extremely apologetic but I don’t have the wisdom or the ability to right the wrongs i have done. So tonight I say a little prayer for each person who has ever shed a tear due to a thoughtless word. And for those who’d get a laugh out of seeing someone else cringe, try to keep it down guys. The world’s a crazy enough place to grow up in.

Long time no see?

Well I’m back!!! For anyone out there who might have stumbled onto this page by mistake, you should know that it’s been almost two years since the last time I even visited my blog. Hence the three exclamation marks after the ‘I’m Back’. And what a life-altering period of time that was! For those keeping tab – I’ve jumped onto a totally different career path, I’m single, I’m in a new country halfway across the world, hell, I’ve even got a new haircut! Things haven’t been perfect. But they could be a lot worse. I could have gone on to finish my MBA for instance.. UGH!! ( no offense to my friends or the millions of other MBAs of this world). I’ve moved on now doing something i can truly say I love doing. Something I know I’m good at. And consequently something I’m so afraid to let go of. Anyway, more on that later. So how have you been? That’s rhetorical. Who am I kidding? No one’s even reading.... Hello?